Any applicant currently employed as a law enforcement officer and Post-Certified or any applicant who has successfully completed the 'Pre-Service' program through the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) and Post-certified may submit an application for employment by contacting Lt. Lockerby, (406) 455-8556. The Lateral Transfer Application is available online.
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To be considered for hiring as lateral police officer, you must be a full-time, sworn police officer who has completed a State certified police academy or must have a (Peace Officer Standards & Training) P.O.S.T. certificate that is within 3 years of the date of termination from your last police agency. Although most police academies meet P.O.S.T. standards, officers will need to include the number of hours they actually attended since 350 hours of Basic Academy training is the minimum allowed.
Military: Military Police or Security Forces training is not considered P.O.S.T. certified so you would need to follow the entry level police applicant process. It should be noted that the Veteran’s Administration does pay for law enforcement academy attendance in most circumstances. The Great Falls Police Department is a recognized registered participating agency with the Veteran’s Administration.
The section of this page assumes that the lateral police officer has successfully completed Step 1 of the initial testing process which is conducted by the Montana Law Enforcement Testing Consortium for all police applicants. (See our section under EMPLOYMENT.)
Complete a Personal History statement and City of Great Falls application packet. Submit to Lt. Bryan Lockerby of the Support Services Bureau.
The application will be reviewed and presented to administration for consideration. The Great Falls Police Department attempts to find a balance of experienced and entry-level officers as openings occur. All application packets will be kept on file for a period of one year.
Lateral officers will be asked to attend a one-day orientation and assessment process at the Great Falls Police Department. The purpose of the orientation is not only for the agency to get to know the lateral officer, but for the applicant to view the Department’s daily operations, equipment, vehicles, facility, and command structure, so they can have a better understanding of the agency. This benefits both the applicant and the agency since it avoids possible misperceptions and clarifies expectations of the Great Falls Police Department.
The one-day process includes, but is not limited to:
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Background investigations will be initiated and completed based on openings within the Department. (Lateral applicants will be notified personally before any background investigation is initiated.) If candidates are successful in passing the background investigation, a Conditional Offer of Employment will be made provided there are openings. Upon acceptance, the candidate will proceed to the next step.
Out of State Lateral Police Officers must attend Montana Law Enforcement Academy Legal Equivalency Basic Course.
Officers who have been granted reciprocity based on their law enforcement qualifications and experience in another state must attend the Legal Equivalency Basic Course, which is offered three times a year.
This course includes education and training in:
Reciprocity – To apply for reciprocity, a law enforcement officer with out-of-state experience and training who has been hired by a law enforcement agency in Montana must have: